S.R. 16 Shands Bridge

[CS Foltz]

Ock.....not really a bad idea! Drive some pilings down to limit lateral movement, hook them up and away we go!

[Ocklawaha]

The Shands is so low, many of the orders for the St. Johns Ship Building Yard, have moved elsewhere. THEY ONCE EVEN OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE CHANGES! Nope!@$&@*

We once saw our waterways as inland highways, especially in the South. River traffic is still a tradition all along the Gulf Coast States. It is much lighter on the East Coast, but even Florida's Gulf coast suffers from lack of infrastructure on the waterways. The St. Johns/Ocklawaha are different, they have a history of boat traffic. Palatka and Sanford as well as Green Cove Springs have developed ports. But we've hung a clothesline across the river that nobody can get past since 1954.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Ock............it's pretty obvious that was not taken into consideration with the Shands design........but it sure was cheap right? Seems that Jacksonville is not alone with ......no vision, no plan and no cents!

[tufsu1]

Jumping to conclusions again CS?

The existing Shands Bridge has a portion that used to rise up and allow taller ships to pass through when needed.....although I'm not sure that's been in operation anytime recently....Ock, surely you remember that?

[reednavy]

The only part of the current Shands Bridge that isn't concrete is a section about 10-12ft long that is steel grating from what I've been told was an accident years ago. Whether it was boat of vehicle is a moot point to the fact the current bridge has never had a section that acted like the Main Street Bridge to allow for taller boats to pass through.

Unless you're refering to the original Shands Bridge that is now a pier.

[Jason]

The steel grating that Reednavy is referring to is about a 20' section on the flat of the bridge east of the span.  If it is somehow removable there is no chanel beneath it to allow larger boats/ships passage.

Check it out on Google Streetview.

[tufsu1]

maybe it was the old bridge then....guess the new briodge has that small hump

[Ocklawaha]

The steel grating that Reednavy is referring to is about a 20' section on the flat of the bridge east of the span.  If it is somehow removable there is no chanel beneath it to allow larger boats/ships passage.

Check it out on Google Streetview.

Guys, I pretty much remember the bridge from opening day on, that panel was there when they opened it as far as I know. Seems like it was supposed to either be some sort of 1950's expansion joint or perhaps DOD had it put in due to the nearby Lee Field, naval base as some sort of option.
I don't think it was ever really intended to open, and it's no where near the channel then or now.


OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Gentlemen............the current Shands Bridge has a steel grating panel but it is not powered......there is no power running to it, there are no motors and there is no control station as in a regular drawbridge. What is there appears to be just a plain standard grate! At one time they may have planned to install a drawbridge but there is nothing there at this time. I have not been on the water underneath that section but have been over it many  times on two wheels........that is part of my western loop! No motor brackets,hinge points are anything, just plain concrete buttment!

[reednavy]

That section is so quite a ways east of the main channel.

[CS Foltz]

Yes reednavy it is! Infact it is so far outside of whatever channel is there it is not funny! I am not sure just what the channel depth is there but can't be more than 40' if that much! But that grated section looks more a permanent repair than anything else!

[Ocklawaha]

More like 9' feet if your looking for a consistant bottom depth, the river channel is only maintained at somewhere around 11' feet. There are some deep spots, for example black creek has several miles of hard rock bottom and deep 80'+ holes, thought to be ancient limestone cavern cave sites.

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

Could such a grate, based on your descriptions, be lifted by crane in order to deliver bridge maintenance materials off the paved section of the bridge to a waiting barge?  Or, in reverse, to carry away dredge material from a barge on waiting dump trucks?  Just a random idea. 

[JaxBorn1962]

Could such a grate, based on your descriptions, be lifted by crane in order to deliver bridge maintenance materials off the paved section of the bridge to a waiting barge?  Or, in reverse, to carry away dredge material from a barge on waiting dump trucks?  Just a random idea. 

Then send the Bill to Charlie C. the next senator for the gop.

[CS Foltz]

I am not sure just what its purpose would be! Dredging spoils are usually removed by pumping through a series of large floating piping to an area outside of a maintained channel. Corp of Engineers usually maintain navigable waterway and the USCG maintains the aids to navigation.....buoys,range markers and channel markers! Infact, come to think about it .......I don't remember seeing any standard buoys marking that channel. It might be a state maintained system............we pay some kind of tax for Inland navigation but I think that is for boat ramps and public docks and think that is a state tax not a Federal.